Sismance (TAG Shaya)

April, hoping sincerely that some answers she would find tonight out with her friend Shaya heads out into the night calling first morgues and then hospitals as she goes asking about Gabe, she only had his name and the description Raph had supplied to go on - and it took a while to locate the one that seems most likely by this time she was almost at meeting up with Shaya.

This possibility and she felt in her gut it was the right one her lil green bro was asking for - 'A case where the 'Gabe' that had been in their care, stable if dangerous and grievously harmed still, whom had vanished with the people that had been visiting and apparently a butt load off goodies with them.'

She sighs and chuckles and leaves Raph a voice message to his number.

"Raph, I called around - and I think it is possible Gabe was taken out of the hospital with some allies," She gives the story the hospital staff had told her - "Seems someone might be trying home care on him, I don't think he has perished I did call and no one matching his description and injuries is or has been in the morgues and in no other hospitals... hope that helps, have each others backs, love you guys." She pecks the phone and hangs up.

And at Shaya's place presses the buzzer. "Shay! darlin! it's me Ape - can I come in or are you coming down?"

"I'm coming down. I'll be there soon as these boots buckle themselves." She called through to April downstairs.She hung up the phone.

Jumping on one foot to put on her freshly waterproofed boot. Shaya twisted and twirls until it slipped on. Click, the boot was buckled to her foot for the adventure.

Locking up her small apartment, double checking her door, she walked down the stairs. April wanted her help with some story? She didn't know much other than April wanted her help. That was all that she needed to follow the redhead around.

She opened the building door. "What exactly are we planning to do? You know I like to be in the 'know' before we run around."

April waited with a shiver, turning up the collar of her bright yellow jacket and zipping it up, over her shoulder resting on her hip a small duffle with some bit and pieces she and Shaya could probably make use of she felt.

She felt bad she'd had to ask Shaya to stay away whilst Raphael was with her, but just told her friend the teen living under her roof for the moment was just very recluse and shy - which strangely enough the great big turtle could be at times.

She heard her buddies voice and felt a chuckle rise, wondering if her leggy blond bud was currently hopping about doing these boots up - as she could picture it in her imagination - having seen Shaya do it many a time whilst they had been rooming in college and beyond.

"Hey lovely lady -" she greeted when Shaya made it down April stepped back to give her room to do her last lock up and answered her, dropping her own voice low just for Shaya's ears alone. "Apparently there is a new virus strand, according to news... not my news, I have not bee handed the case, but I think there is more to it - especially with the added rumours of heavy military presence in the city." April sighs, "I thought you and I could try a little distance snooping, head underground -" She opened her duffle and pulle dout a map, "I have marked in the tunnels that open off the nearest subway here to where there is rumoured to be military activity and -" She puased again to show her friend the bags contents. "Perhaps we should see if we can collect some samples maybe we might get lucky and get a sample of this virus... and if we can find some time in your lab maybe see if we can learn what it is." She fills her in.

"A virus? an unknown one that the military wants." She sighed, "You know how dangerous that is? We don't have the precautions for this." She pointed to his bag, "Especially in this bag," She stated looking into the Duffle bag.

Knowing how stubborn they both were she groaned. Unlocking her door she stepped in. "Let's go get my field bag." She walked up the stairs to her apartment. 


Looking at her friend she blew out some tension. "If it is at a distance, I guess it won't be so bad." She nudged her friend, "Can't have you running around without me. My 'professional' prowess would be of some help." 

April giggles and grinned, "You know its exciting and as long as we stay underground no doubt we will be okay and might get something we..."

May not be able to expose to the public just yet but she could give anything she learned to Raph and Casey.

Or Maybe there will be something she could share openly and begin to put some cracks in the plans. Whatever they were?

"And no one of us has to be the level headed one." April agrees chuckling at the nudge and following Shaya. "and if we're lucky maybe we'll see if it's true and the tunnels down there are haunted like we used to try finding out when rooming together in college and after, we always used to have such fun trying to catch paranormal activity." She giggles.

Though all this was to dispell her own nervous energy over the coming self made mission.

"Come on, let's get my stuff." she ushered April into her apartment hallway. "why do I got the feeling you are helping me walk into trouble? It won't me the first time."

"Ghost stories, virus and sewers. Oh my!" Shaya sang sarcastically. She unlocked her apartment close to the end of the hallway. 

Inside was a one bedroom apartment filled with books. Books of all kinds in different surfaces of the room. It was barely any furniture, with a coffee table, three chairs, and a card table, in the main room.
"I'll be back!," she piped as she ducked into the next room.

"if we get caught we'll just pretend to be french party girls again like that time in college." April chuckles.

And that time had been all Aprils fault for setting a python loose in the Alpha frat house...

Snapping back to the present April touched a few of the books interestedly, flicking open to pages to read them, "well we don't want to do a night half assed, gotta at least cross off three different items of hunt." she giggles listening to her friend and smiling, "a new bookshelf turned up in the antique shop a week ago, a friend of mine can restore it and give it a varnish if you would like it Shaya, it's not a true antique but all these new books you could have it if you like."

She often kept her eyes out on things that could be useful to her close friends. The guys, Casey, Shaya... in an antique shop it was a once in a blue moon but it happened.

She places the big book of microbes back where it had been and moves to check out another. Some of these she was going to have to borrow from Shaya to read.

"Trying to butter me up with a new bookcase." Shaya laughed.She adjusted her messenger bag on he left hip and her much smaller purse on her right hip. Ready to follow April into the craziness of the night.

 Looking back at April eyeing the book, she smirked. That lady always did have a good choice in books. "You can read it at any time. I finished using it for my sample work last night." She stated not adding in the events of needing it. Too boring... wouldn't be quite right.

She nodded to her front door. Ready to go. "Let's get you the samples. If we need anything now is the time." She mockingly sighed as if she wasn't excited and nervous.

"Yes I am," April answers with a deep amused laugh and grin, checking her phone briefly encase her two vigilante boys out on the run tonight had checked in. No. But she tried not to worry too much and guessed somewhere out there Casey and Raph both worried too that she was out and about.

But hey it was her job. And she had back up. "Thanks I think I will come and pick it up and a few others here for reading if your sure you don't mind bestie." She agrees placing both the book back where she found it and then her phone back in her pocket zipping back up the jacket so as not to loose it. "Wont take me long to get through it once I get down to reading."

She grins and looks over her friend. "No I am ready, got a torch and water bottle for drink and you, baggie for stuffs..." She chuckles and joins Shaya heading towards the front door. She could tell the leggy blond was nervous. And so was she to be totally honest - but heck they would be okay. "Alright a spelunking we will go! a spelunking we will go! hi yo hiyo and ho ho ho - a spelunking we will go!"

"I don't mind I know that you keep my books dog eared free, most of the time. I'm sure i can find something to swap with at your apartment to read as well." She offhandedly offered.  

In the the old tradition with April she continued in the same tune, " A spelunking we will go~." 
It help eased her nerves. She knew that common sense would be stay in and have a normal girls night. Then again when were these two ever absolutely normal?

Shaya adjusted her coat as she locked up her front door to her apartment. She double checked everything in her bag in a mental checklist. She turns back to April gesturing her to lead the way.

She thought for a moment, "How is the boys?" 

As they exited the apartment and singing the spelunking tune April checked the map and once Shaya had locked up lead the way off towards a man hole cover for storm drains close by in a dark alley. "I usually use my book marks it's true... or bills to mark pages I am up too." She admits grunting with effort as she hefts the man hole out of the way so she and Shaya could shimmy down. "I'll go first, and make sure the rung are not to slippery."

And thinking about Shaya's question she smiles, "I know I have made you curious asking you to stay away whilst one of my adopted brothers has been living with me for a while." She apologizes. "But thank you for your patience on the matter, he and his family are just very very shy about meeting others." She chuckles and climbs down a little further. "But he is alright, him and Casey have been out and about catching up so theres that and he has been maintaining my self defense teachings... I swear I actually have some definition of muscles in the stomach now!" She was down... "Come on Shaya the rungs are not to icky."

"his father has visited a couple of times to chat with him, which is good, for a day the big guy was so sad and lonely thinking he'd pushed them all away for good."

Shaya tries not to roll her eyes. After meeting Mikey it was hard enough not to ask a million questions about the guys.She kept herself busy in her projects at work to not be tempted to text or call April to further bother the boys.

"Shy can be a blessing. The curiosity is a bit of a pain. When they want a friend, let me know. Even Daddy-dear," She said starting her descent down to the sewers. Unsure footing balancing her as she drags the cover back into place. Shaking from the force she pats her way down the ladder. "He sounds like he may need a vacation too."

April held up her little torch to light Shaya's path and giggles, she could not help it. "Oh I know being the single father of four almost grown teen males cannot be easy - I am certain once you have become more of a familiar face there will be a unassuming, kindly, well spoken rat man occasionally at your kitchen window knocking politely to see if he may actually have a little chair space, a cup and some time to chat with some one he will not have to throw in the haashi in the next couple of days." She sniggers, "But for a man whom has had to bring them up alone, he is remarkably sane." She giggles some more and steps back to make sure Shaya found her footing safely off the slippery rungs.

"Once things calm down a little I might ask the guys if they would like to meet you, maybe when Raph's brothers have seen him - I am sure now Splinter has they will too, and soon." Of course she had no idea Michelangelo and Raphael were having a reunion of sorts already -

"Though really I do feel Raph would benefit from some on his age range to gas bag to - maybe... mmmm" She puzzles and for a moment a cheeky look goes across her face.

"Well if the 'well spoken' rat-man needs a quiet place away from the boys, usually hopping into your window, mine will be free to slide through."She smirked, "I'd like a quiet tea buddy."

She stood under the ladder with wobbly legs for a moment collecting herself on the slimy wet ground. Adjusting her bag to her hip before testing a step towards her friend. Shaya dusted off her clammy hands from the ladder descend. She nodded for April to lead the way. 

She pondered, "As for Raph you make him sound like; a ticking time bomb as we chatted. Sounds like he would need to exhaust his body before chatting. Tough guy act wall would need to come down before even letting anything of the real him out." She thought gazing into her mind. Blinking for what she said. She sputtered, "I mean from what I got from You and Michelangelo. A friend of mine was like that. He needed to run before coming home to let out his feelings."

Embarrassed for just blurting out her thought process again she looked down at the dark walkway. The  murky water yet to be filtered left a pungent smell in the air. The common rats scuttling about as they walked by.

April grinned - a wide, honest happy grin and reached out to steady her friend for a moment as she she was on her feet and off the slimy rungs above. "I am sure Splinter will be very appreciative, he loves them to pieces of course but even a most devoted father needs the odd true r and r once in a while. Probably more often now as the young men are more and more stretching their muscles as it were." She was actually grateful she could now speak to Shaya about her adopted family more openly.

"And not a time bomb persay - the guy thinks he is such a hard shell and for most that don't get the chance to really get to know him or take the time to he does come across that way. But he is a big ol' marshmallow on the inside." She chuckles and steps back from Shaya to check the map again under a bit of flash light. "but yeah it takes a while for the iron armor to show it's kinks." She looks about.

She would never admit it out loud but water she could not see the bottom off made her very nervous. And as used as she had become to the smell here it did not help. "Alright... this way." She points her flash light down the tunnel that lay ahead. "Ready?" she asks beginning to lead off.

She nodded listening to April more about the hidden masters of the sewers. Happy to see April let out a secret that has been a burden to her. In truth she wasn't big on pushing others unless it could be damaging, which was rarely the case.  She knew her friend needed more than Casey to get help for the guys. 

"Lead the way captain," she mock saluted.

Shaya slipped her flashlight from her side compartment in her messenger bag where a water bottle would be to follow April. Her steps were flat and lacked her usual hop in it. This wouldn't be the best place to slip off the walkway into the murky foul smelling tunnel.

April too was aware they had to tread carefully and kept her flash light pointing down the way they were going used to the odors and dark by now. She steps lightly over debris leading through the dark and quiet her view low in the weighty darkness.

"yeah Raph's having a bit of a rough time at the moment - a falling out with his brothers and girl issues..." She wished he'd have met a nicer girl.

Huh.... the thought as she lead down a almost dry tunnel sparked more... A nicer girl.

Of course she would never do anything stupid and expose her green brothers... but.... but...

She hums thoughtfully and scrambles over a bit of fallen masonry turning to hold her hands out to Shaya to follow and help her step over the mess.

"I think that this is a recent development; eh? I mean, only recently you told me. Someone who has been working in a sewer system and specializes in foreign species." She asked a bit concerned from the way April went quiet. What was that Redhead thinking?

"I'm going to also guess it wasn't the usual Run-in-terror, or think he's-imaginary kind of gal." She started feeling like she knew pieces of the puzzle but not the whole story. 

Walking over broken bricks lay in a heap showing signs of the fallen rubble of the aging sewer system. She took her friends hand to climb over it and step back into a walking pace beside her friend. 

"Does the Big Sister Squad need to help him after this? We can get the boys back on the same page." She teased only half joking.

"Something like that yeah." April chuckles in the dark of the tunnel they now strolled slowly down a very dark damp tunnel, "The brothers will sort it out though in their own time, its one of those family things we cant force only wait for the pieces to come together on their own." She sighs, "I am sure they all will, the fraternal bonds are strong." She assures stepping with Shaya and checking the map, she was track their progress closely as possible, she did not want to get lost down here!

Though worse comes to worse she could always radio on of the boys for a guide out.

"And yeah the lady was a member of a rival ninja clan so she's had run in with my brothers before and not too shocked by an encounter with them." She agrees again thinking over this and grinning at her friend. "I think I will introduce you once things are relatively back to normal with the family, I mean you got through meeting Casey Jones soooooo meeting the bros and father should be a walk in the park... Jurassic Park." She adds the last bit with a playing giggle checking the map once more. "And I think we head down this way my girl and a very long straight run and a couple of more corners and we'll be near the compound."

"Rival ninjas, huh? Let me guess, are they geckos from space?" She joked.
 Following April into the caverns and tunnels she realized that she was going to the opposite side of the sewage system than her thoughts suggested. " Which way are we going? I feel like we could get lost in here."

Shaya nodded letting her friend take charge of the map and the way around.  Since she had the most personal experience. Laughing with her friend she muttered loud enough for her to hear.  "I'm sure that they will be better then Casey in behaviour. You had the worst timing when you introduced us both, hon." 

April laughs quietly leading her friend through the dark lowering her voice as she answers Shaya - feeling they were getting close to somewhere they could snoop and have a look about...

Maybe get some answers or clues as to what was freaking people out so much above and causing so much raucous.

"If they were at least it'd be interesting, but no these are your mostly human variety of bad dudes, you know criminal element and all that." She double checks the mapping and folds it once more still chuckling the older tunnels down here - sounded muffled and muted. "And yeah this should go much better than that... depending on how meetings go... Mikey as you noted can be full on, Leo intimidating, Raph lurking and Don torn between curiosity and bashfulness." she smiles fondly.

"last corner then we should be able to sneak up out of the manhole and try getting some answers - we may have to leave our gear at the bottom of the man hole -but we aint going to far away from it, just get some evidental pictures of something going on and get out." She murmurs feeling the tingle of excitement that was no stranger to her. She got it years ago when she and Shaya used to get into their mischief. And when she had met Casey for the first time. The guys... the adventures....

Shaya nodded in understanding. As much as it was fun to know that there was a possibility of mutants.  It opened up the possibility of the world holding monsters, magic, other worlds, and adventures. A childish thought but April's comment of "Just humans" did help stump some of the wonder of this recon mission. Silly nerves.

"I got my camera, anything else we need in my bag for this 'mission'?" she asked looking down at her messenger bag. "I'll bring a few sample containers if we need them."

Her nerves were quelled by the idea of April being here. They have been in trouble before by being the curious critters they both were. She just rathered the other side of it protecting her instead of putting her behind bars... or worse.

April checked her gear too as they slid into the tunnel with the exit that would be near their destination. As she understood it this was the industrial area and this set of ware houses that were sort of isolated - abandoned and sectioned off for demolish one day.

She smiles at Shaya and points up lowering her voice a little as she answers. "We could try grabbing some samples yes though we'll leave the bags here to grab on the way back down, the less we carry the better." She nods and goes through her bag for what could have been those small collectable discs that children can get in cereals and lunch item packets for collections and to play with, but these were a few small ' microphones. She makes sure her t phone received their signals, all these items made by ingenious Donatello. "See if we cannot get a bit of eavesdropping done." She grins and makes sure her other phone was on the camera option.

"Okay lets do this..." She leads the way up the rungs and out. Nerves soothed by the presence of her usual partner in mischief and crime.

Shaya's gut reaction to most of April's Journalist curiosity, (or Scientist Endangerment Program in her mind) was; you will hate it all the ways it endangers them but,  the story in the end is amazing to tell.  She took a few deep breaths, double checking her bag was handles up for a quick grab.

She had her normal biologist sample containers, swabs, lunch bag looking container, and her belt clip. Her belt was built for this type of in field work, it had clips to hold samples in as it stayed close to her waist. Her hands patted her body down and took out the last sample swab with containers to put on her belt clip. She sighed with a bare smile before ascending the rungs of the ladder up to where ever she was being led to. 

"To find that story of yours." She hushed as she lifted herself behind April. Creeping up the ladder to find information.

There was Fort Hamilton.

The New York city base. It was definitely active as the rumors had said, and April waiting Neil Shaya was up the last rung and out left the man hole to one side.

"wow this place is much much more active than it should be." She whispers to Shaya and motions to her to follow, over to a large charcoal black truck parked on their side of the fence and the deep shadow it cast. Here April felt in her Baggie for Donnie made toys.

"and those... I don't think those are standard uniforms." she points to a small group of what could only be almost halo style exo skeleton suits, but far more stream lined to the bodies of those wearing them, even moulded about the shapes of the breasts of a couple of the members ofthe small group. April lifts her tphone and zooms in on these people clicking a couple of photos and sending straight to Donnie on the off chance these got destroyed with questions if he could do some digging and find out what branch of military these suits were from.

Now she pulled out the little micro phones that would transmit back to the tphone and tossed a couple towards the group given one to Shaya. "Donnie built these," she was proud to show off his skilled craftsmanship and engineering skills.

She was just looking at the tphone to pull free the small ear bud to listen to what was being recorded when she spies something that made her lightly tap Shaya's wrist and drag her to the front bumper of the truck. "that looks like blood on there... Some one might have just hit an animal... But let's collect the sample." she nods to it and nudges Shaya forward to it.